Old Couple Spends Days Preparing Children’s Favorite Chili Paste for Family Reunion, But None of the Six Kids Came Home

Many children grow up and live their own lives, independent of their parents as adults. While that is a good thing, this can also bring disappointment to our parents when we become too busy growing up that we forget they are growing old and in need of our love.

Take for instance this couple from Shanxi, China who recently went viral after they spent days to prepare their children’s favorite food for a family reunion but none of their six kids came home.

Photo credit: Sinchew / Kwongwah

Lee and his wife Zhang knew that they kids love chili paste. So, aside from preparing for the feast on Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival (also known as Moon Festival) when families often hold reunions, they also prepared chili paste for their kids to bring back to the city where they are now working.

Despite the stone mill in the village being quite heavy for the 71-year-old Lee, he didn’t mind pushing on it to prepare the chili paste. He took turns with his wife who also added salt and garlic to the delicious chili paste.

Photo credit: Sinchew / Kwongwah

“Our children will return in two days’ time, and they’ll be looking forward to this chilli sauce. We better get going with the grinding,” Lee happily told his neighbors when they tried to make him stop.

But their excitement turned to sadness when they received a WeChat message from their children through a young neighbor that not one could return home for the reunion as they were too busy at work.

Lee cried as he was feeling excited to see his kids again; although Zhang tried to keep herself together and pretended she wasn’t hurt as she didn’t want her children to feel guilty.

Photo credit: Sinchew / Kwongwah

The next day, the couple didn’t celebrate the festival but went to the fields to work. When asked, they said they wanted to earn enough money so they can help reduce their children’s burden so they can come home for the family reunion dinner for Chinese New Year…